thats the next question.
MONEY!!
it will only work if all clubs are on a level footing financially.
and thats never going to happen as it will mean SL clubs losing out

Unless sky are going to put more into it, we also need another massive sponsor for this kind of thing

its just another way of reintroducing promotion/relegation.

but the lower clubs will have no more chance than they've got now
without the money.

This is absolutely true.

Sadly, I'm a big part-timer nowadays and don't follow what is going on in RL fully. Only thing I do know is that the RFL have been restructuring the leagues for about the last 10 years to no success. No doubt this new change will come in, and they will realise it hasn't work and change back again. In the meantime floaters like me lose interest in the whole thing.

I think the whole matter is a complicated one. The main issue is the funding of the game. This ultimately determines what is possible and what's not.

Unless the income pie can be made bigger, by either increased income from the media or through sponsorship, options are limited.

We have to look at the big picture and start with strength at the top. We need to be able to keep our best players in this country and not lose them to either Rugby Union or to RL in Australia. This brings us back to funding and salary caps.

Salary caps are a good idea because no one wants to see clubs go bust, which tends to happen if rigid financial rules aren't in place. The total credibility of the game suffers if clubs are going into administration every five minutes.

The downside is that it makes it harder to keep the best players.

Money speaks and if a player is offered a lucrative deal elsewhere, we can't blame them for taking it. Would you go to work for someone else for an extra £10K per year? Probably, yes! As much as we don't like market forces being the over-riding boss, that's how the world works.

There appears to be insufficient funding to allow 14 Super League teams to be properly funded and compete with the opposition, as described. This is why a reduced top tier seems inevitable.

No promotion and relegation to the top league is a pain in the backside and frustrates us all. But the problem is that part-time clubs becoming full-time clubs overnight doesn't work. We get the discredited yo-yo system where the team that gets promoted comes straight back down. We love the thought of being able to get to the big boys league but realistically the gap between the best and the next best can't be a huge one or else we get the problems we've witnessed in the past.

In order to help reduce the class gap, the lower league needs more funding but how can that be done when there isn't sufficient money to go round anyway?

I think the 12 and 12 league idea, splitting into 8-8-8 is seen as a way of bridging this gap. I have serious doubts as to whether it would work as the four Super League teams would probably be too good for the top four in the Championship when they get thrown together.

Imagine being in Super League: You want to sell season tickets to your fans but they don't know whether the second half of the season will be in the top grade or the next grade. You see the problem?

Would this structure simply discourage the better players from joining the lesser Super League teams?

If there are big differences in the funding of the top league and the next level, I see it bringing all sorts of financial problems to the teams who dropped out of the initial Super League 12 into the second half of the season division of 8.

For the credibility of the RFL, they need to fully consult all clubs and fans on this. Whatever they decide needs to be put in place to last for the foreseeable future. We can't be chopping and changing everything every season or two.

The objectives ought to be:

1) Increase income through better media deals and sponsorship
2) Put measures into place that help clubs keep the best talent in rugby league and in this country
3) Reduce the class gaps between the top tier and other divisions by better funding for the Championship
4) Invest more in the development of the game as bringing new talent into the game is key
5) Find a way to make promotion and relegation work

Whichever way we look at it, it comes down to money. The RFL must be innovative and find ways of drastically increasing the money coming into the game or else the above objectives will not be met.

As yet, we don't know what the plans are for the teams outside the top 24, should the 12 and 12 proposal be accepted. Does Dons News have any information on this one?

For the sake of the game, and the sport we love, we need the RFL to get this one right.

I've been watching RL since the mid eighties but i've started watching Donny Knights this season. A tenner to get in, decent stadium, good value/quality food and drink what more can you ask for ( a few more wins maybe ). I'm so fed up with the running of Rugby League that i can't be bothered any more.

Isn't it sad that Rupert has given up on the game because he can't be bothered any more? Lessons need to be learned from what he says.

I fully understand why he now goes to Castle Park. It's meeting his needs at a cost he likes.

The game has got to do something to win Rupert and other disillusioned fans back or else the future of the game is grim. We can't afford to lose people from our game in this way.

I'm proud to be a Doncaster lad and I like to see all of Donny's sporting teams do well. Good luck to the Knights, Rupert. I hope we might be able to win you back to rugby league in the future as well.

[url=http://www.loverugbyleague.com/blogpost_613-what-does-rugby-league-need--perspective-.htmlI have a potential suggestion. I’m going to throw it out there. If you like it, great! If you don’t then just throw it straight back…[/url

What do you reckon?

one up one down is what many have been calling for for a long time.The earlier start, on the face of it makes sense, only the clubs themselves could answer whether it's practical. Im very pessimistic when it comes to the rfl , i hope it does listen to the clubs, not just the superleague , all clubs, but i do think TV will have a big say in any decision .The fans alas will probably just have to accept what is thrown at us.

I still watch a most Dons home games but a few years ago i was attending Cup finals, Super league, Internationals etc and every Dons match home and away, but now that interest has wained because of how the game is nowadays.
I will always be a fan of the Dons but i'm not really a fan of rugby league in general any more.

Click [url=http://fluidab3.miniserver.com/~global/_cmsDocs/doncaste/RFL%20Proposed%20Changes.pdfhere[/url to read Carl Hall's thoughts on the proposed and hotly debated new league changes as recently published by the RFL.

Does anyone know what happens to the remaining clubs?

If the divisions clubs find themselves in depends solely on their league placing, at this moment in time standing 12th in the Championship we would scrape in by the skin of our teeth.

Is there going to be another, thus far unmentioned, division below those 2/3 from which there is also relegation and promotion, or are 11 clubs being kicked to touch?

I am assuming there will be another tier, but I can't really have an opninion until I know

Thanks for that DonsNews & Carl, very interesting . By the way I havent got any rose tinted glasses but I like a glass of rose'.

Good question jemmo, there is still lots to learn about the" proposed " system , one that i feel is already on it's way, regardless of any consultation. But reading Carls thoughts on the matter, he seems to think it will be to the benefit of the Dons , and he is in a much better position to judge it than i am. Only time will tell of course.

[url=http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_11993-relegation-from-super-league-2-to-regional-leagues-in-proposals.htmlHere's what is proposed[/url

Im sure someone can put me right here, how are fixtures decided?, could , for instance let's say castleford, play wigan, Leeds,and warrington away, finish in the bottom four, not make it back for the following season, but be successful the season after , and play wigan, Leeds and warrington away again and finish in the bottom four..............you see where im going. In theory they could go years without a home game against the top sides , with only playing once, can't see how it can be fair. someone please enlighten me. might be a daft question , but I'll risk it.

I understand where you're coming from donny hkr. It is an inherent weakness in a structure where every team doesn't play each other home and away. There would have to be some sort of "grading" system in place whereby you played your fair share of good teams at home and your fair share of not so good teams at home, but that would be subjective and I suspect everyone would find something unappealing about their list of games.

It's interesting to see that Carl is very much in favour of the two-leagues of 12 set-up, splitting into three groups of 8.

In the points I made earlier, I suggested that the key is finance. Generating more money for the game is what will determine whether RL moves forwards or not. Carl seems to think the changes will help to market the product. I hope he is right as we all want to see rugby league flourish and improve.

Carl obviously has a greater insight and understanding of these matters than we do. I had reservations about certain aspects of the proposals but if Carl thinks it's the way forward, then I'm prepared to give it my support too.

Just one thought will the clubs in the proposed SL 2 from the championship need to go full time to compete.

Would have thought they would at a distinct disadvantage if they don't , financially however ....?

Yes I agree .

Also I hope clubs in the Championship do not overspend in 2014 in order to ensure a SL 2 slot in 2015.
I am sure we will not.

Yes Im sure your right, the Dons board will not make that mistake

A proposed regionalised structure below SL2 with promotion & relegation between them.
The number of clubs will depend on new clubs eg Coventry Bears & talks of a 2nd French club Toulouse entering SL2.
If this system was given the green light on Monday we would be in the regionalised competition , however if we avoid relegation this season & come in the top 9 or 10 in 2014 wecould find ourselves in SL2 in 2015.

Any thoughts ?

The bottom four in our league would certainly be in the regional league in 2015. This would increase to 5 if Toulouse were definitely included, which looks almost certain.

We're all fretting about the possibility of finishing in the bottom two this season, so I suppose next season will be more than twice as tense!

It would be very bad for the game if teams overspent next year in an attempt to avoid the trap door as the competition will be even tougher considering what is at stake.

Those that do get relegated could find themselves in a very tough regional competition and getting back into the second tier of 12 would be quite tough.

At the other extreme, it gives all clubs hope of pitting themselves against the very best much more quickly than can posssibly happen now, which is what the majority outside the current Super League want.

It certainly gives the likes of the Dons opportunities that we wouldn't otherwise have, but the added competition means we will have to work hard to stay in the second tier of 12.

I don't think we should focus on the possibility of being in the regional league, although this could happen. We should see it as an opportunity to push on and continue the good progress the club has made in recent seasons.

Agree with those last few points there what you say involving the dons.

we will have to keep working hard and improving and hopefully we will have a chance to move higher up, which is what everyone wants.

But i still think the RFL should be putting more finances to the lower clubs who 'qualify'.
it,s up to them where they get it from as this is there baby!
but it will definately be needed for this to work on some sort of decent level.

COYD

Leaving it as it is, but bringing in p and r between all divisions would also open up a way to the top division, without a number of clubs gambling on their futures by going full time prematurely . Im not sure how much coverage, as regards tv etc, the sl2 , or after the split , the middle and bottom 8 would receive. If it concentrates on the top 8 comp, as you would expect; do those in that get the lions share of money. Will there be much interest at all in the bottom 8, where for most clubs the season has virtually ended, unless your bottom, there's nothing to play for, you go back where you started.How does that generate interest . Im one that needs convincing, because at the moment , i just think it's a bad idea. I know the club feel it's a good idea , they must have far more of an insight than most average fans

Agree 100% with last 3 posters, it wouldnot be the end of the world if we were in the regionals, at least there will be promotion .